Incrementalism And Environmental Policy

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There are two different views on the connection that is found between consumption and environmental policy. The first major connection is the ignorance of buying something that at first seems like it will help out people in so many ways, but ends up hurting the environment in the long run after changes and a changing culture, cars for example (Book Review: The Shadow of Consumption, 1). The other connection that could be made is the connection between researching products and how they are produced and what the companies do with the byproduct after the product has been made. This connection can seem like a strong connection than the ignorant connect because there is a whole other level of research and understanding that goes into understanding the environment and the policies that are changed by the production process.
Environmental and energy policies can play a significant yet small role in the incrementalism in policy making. Environmental policies and new plans often cost money and time that the government cannot fully give to a specific area that may be affected. Charles Lindblom discusses that how the best solution will not always be selected, but that incrementalism is common for larger policies that have a high level of salience and a low level of conflict, since these are more easy to agree upon and change quickly, example airline safety. Environmental policies have a low level and salience and a low level of conflict which causes the policies to get pushed back and often reviewed and not changed because of funding that can be offered. The connection that is created between incrementalism and environmental policy has been changed and improved over time but the actual changes are not implemented because of the prio...

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...nges that may have once been a regulation, but that still effects the environment. Other larger plants and companies are beginning to change the way that they take care of certain waste products because they have been brought into the public light and some groups have begun to campaign against the larger companies that are dealing with the regulations. The environmental push that is being created is affected by the ‘race to the bottom” even though regulations may be decreased the problem is already out in the public so it seems that since there used to be such stringent laws. The increased competition that can be created by the companies which are similar plays into interest groups. State policies are changing the way that larger companies are dealing with the environment as well as aiding in the improving the environment after there has been major damage done.

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